Airport makes travelling easier for autistic children

The first half of 2019 saw 3.2 million passengers pass through Malta International Airport.

For the average traveller, the comings and goings of itinerant crowds all rushing towards departure gates and arrival points may be nothing more than a bearable nuisance, the sufferable consequence of setting off on a well-earned break.

But what if those crowds, the visual of intense movements and the sounds of the crowded airport halls, made a world of difference between starting one’s holiday on a good note, or making it the start of a disastrous one… in some cases perhaps, not even going on holiday at all?

Such is the reality for passengers, especially young children, diagnosed with autism, who can find large crowds, which typically are accompanied by loud noises and crammed spaces, especially difficult.

Experiences can depend on the severity of children’s autism. Some children cope badly with queuing, crowds and noise, likely to even be unable to stay in resorts. They can find people in otherwise normal situations ‘invading’ their space, unable to take the stressful confines of a packed airport hall.

But services which help alleviate this kind of stress can be hard to come by. Which is why Malta International Airport’s services for autistic children and their parents, a service crafted in collaboration with the Inspire Foundation, has been welcomed for providing an extra helping hand for persons with autism, getting them through the airport without any hitches and starting their holidays on the right foot.

Malta International Airport’s services for autistic children and their parents, a service crafted in collaboration with the Inspire Foundation, has been welcomed for providing an extra helping hand for persons with autism, getting them through the airport without any hitches and starting their holidays on the right foot

Chris Gruppetta whose son, 11, has autism, told MaltaToday that he could not speak highly enough of the service. “People need to understand that people with autism tend to find it difficult to deal with new surroundings, they have problems coping with activities that fall outside of their routine. And all these factors together can lead to meltdowns, which can have health repercussions.”

Gruppetta explained that persons with autism routinely suffer from epilepsy which is triggered by stress – such as flying.

But the “high quality” service that the Malta International Airport offered was a game-changer, he told MaltaToday.

“I don’t want to sound like I’m sponsored or anything – but the change it made to the way we travel was massive; we’d never travel any other way now.”

He highlighted that while he has availed from similar services when offered board, Malta’s was a cut above the rest. “It was obvious to me, from seeing how they interacted with my son, that they had received training, a point in case being that they knew that people with autism have problems with contact – that’s not overtly obvious.”

MaltaToday was taken on a walkthrough by Sarah Mangion, a customer services representative at the Malta International Airport, who has attended sensitivity training in order to be able to assist persons with autism, on their journey through the airport. The service was introduced to mark World Autism Awareness Week. However, it goes above and beyond just a “symbolic gesture.”

Mangion said that every month, between 30 to 40 persons avail themselves of the service.

“Introducing this feature was in line with the airport’s commitment to providing all travellers with the best airport experience possible,” Mangion said.

Mangion said it is always best to inform the airport ahead of time, in order for them to be properly prepared, which can be done by filling in a form found on the Malta International Airport website. “The form will require basic information, as well as a medical certificate certifying that the person is on the spectrum,” Mangion explained.

Travellers are escorted to a designated quiet room within the La Vallette lounge – which provides a quiet, dimly lit, calming atmosphere, that also offers complimentary food as well as internet access

She said that while it was best to inform the airport ahead of time, the service was still available when requested in real-time.

“A typical journey would start off at the information desk – where a customer services representative would be alerted that the person has arrived. From there, the person is given a distinctive identifier such as a hat or a wrist band, which they have the option to wear.” While the hat and/or wrist band are not compulsory, they are used to allow staff across the airport to identify that the person travelling may require extra assistance.

From there, they are escorted to the check-in desk and assisted with getting their boarding passes. “Once they have their boarding passes, they are then accompanied through the security screening areas – typically if the airport is busy, they are led through the priority section, to alleviate waiting times.”

From there, they are escorted to a designated quiet room within the La Vallette lounge – which provides a quiet, dimly lit, calming atmosphere, that also offers complimentary food as well as internet access. “There, they can relax and enjoy waiting in a secure environment – when their flight is ready for boarding, a customer services representative will alert them, and accompany them to the gate for boarding,” Mangion said.
Mangion said that there is also a similar service for persons travelling to Malta which included helping travellers through security checks, and baggage claim.

When it comes to the rest of Malta however, Gruppetta added that institutions around the island needed to catch up. “As a parent of a child with autism, you sort of give up going to certain places and doing certain things because they are not autism-friendly. There have been many events that we’ve ended up having to leave because they just don’t work out – and the thing is, these steps to make events autism-friendly are usually small and don’t require a ton of extra work. It’s just about having the sense to think of them beforehand.”